A filmmaker with an ethos to tell emotionally charged tales that are bound by nuance, authenticity and cultural specificity.

Rachel Maxine Anderson is an Australian-Filipino writer and director based in Australia. With a strong belief that there is strength in vulnerability, Rachel is passionate about telling honest stories that explore themes of identity, culture, grief and self discovery. Rachel co-created and directed the short-form series Bananas as part of the Screen Queensland and SBS Unscripted Initiative. A portrayal of living between two cultures in Queensland as an Asian- Australian, Bananas was an official selection into SXSW Film Festival 2020 and can now be streamed on SBS on Demand.

Rachel completed a director’s attachment with director, Jeffrey Walker on the Universal Studio Group TV Series Young Rock through SQ Attach. In 2022, Rachel directed the short film Viv’s Silly Mango as part of The Kaleidoscope Project, a joint ABC and Screen Australia initiative. A vibrant coming-of-age film written and produced by Mary Duong & Rae Choi, and inspired by 90s riot grrrl DIY ethos, Viv’s Silly Mango explores friendship, music, and self-discovery through an intersectional Asian-Australian lens.

Rachel is in development for a TV series centered around her relationship to her cultural identity and a feature film set in the Philippines that sheds a light on the fastest growing crime in the world. Drawn to follow the paths that lead her to making meaningful contributions to the Australian narrative, Rachel also has a parallel focus on directing for television.